KEXP Reviews

Erykah Badu: New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
- (Universal Motown)

The 4th album from the eccentric neo-soul singer is easily her most adventurous work yet, a resolutely non-commercial affair featuring murky stone-funk grooves reminiscent of Parliament/Funkadelic, Sly & the Family Stone’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On and D’Angelo’s Voodoo, with Badu’s delicate, grainy vocals and often politically provocative lyrics poking in and out of the sonic haze. The most accessible song on here (the first single “Honey”) is relegated to an unlisted bonus track at the end of the disc. Challenging, mesmerizing and occasionally unsettling, New Amerykah Part One will end up one of the boldest, most distinctive R&B albums of the year. 2/26/2008
- Don Yates